Games

Helldivers 2's Most Unique Weather Effect Is Begging for its Own Weapons

Published

24 seconds ago

January 22, 2025

helldivers 2 new elemental weapon type meta gamerant

Heavy armor-penetrating weapons are generally the undisputed meta in Helldivers 2, as heavily armored enemy types are plentiful on higher-difficulty missions. Consequently, as Helldivers 2 continues to introduce new weapons and Stratagems, if these weapons don’t have heavy armor-penetrating capabilities then they are likely to be overshadowed by the existing meta. So, it might be for the best to shake up Helldivers 2’s meta with some new buildcrafting tools that could allow for a wider variety of weapons to shine.

With buildcrafting tools inspired by Helldivers 2’s Acid Storm weather effect, both existing and new weapons in Helldivers 2 could potentially give the heavy armor-penetrating meta some healthy competition. This weather effect lowers an enemy’s armor grade, which could allow weapons with medium, light, or no armor-penetration to finally be viable on higher-difficulty missions, opening up a whole new meta for the game.

Helldivers 2 May Have Shot Itself in the Foot By Shadow-Dropping the Illuminate

Helldivers 2’s arguably anticlimactic release of the returning Illuminate enemy faction may prove to be troublesome for the game’s longevity.

Acid Storms are arguably the most unique among the different weather effects in Helldivers 2, at least so far. Originally, this weather effect only reduced players’ and enemies’ visibility while active, similar to Rainstorms and Thick Fog. However, Acid Storms have since been reworked, now temporarily lowering all players’ and enemies’ armor grade to the next lowest level, bringing heavy armor down to medium, and medium armor down to light.

Since heavily armored enemies frequently spawn throughout the higher difficulty levels in Helldivers 2, anti-armor weapons are essentially the undisputed meta. Consequently, the rework to the Acid Storm weather effect has been a game-changer for the higher-difficulty missions. Despite having a noticeable impact, though, the temporary and unpredictable timing of Acid Storms triggering during a mission generally isn’t reliable enough for players to completely neglect to bring heavy armor-penetrating meta weapons and Stratagems in Helldivers 2. Instead, it’s more of a temporary reprieve that allows players to occasionally save a few bullets during fights at best, or cost a few extra Stims and reinforcements at worst.

Heavily armored enemies generally spawn at and above difficulty level four, and their variety and frequency grow with each subsequent difficulty level in Helldivers 2.

So naturally, having access to weapons and/or Stratagems that could consistently apply the Acid Element to some of the toughest enemies in Helldivers 2 could open up a whole new meta. This could allow light and medium armor-penetrating weapons to get their long-overdue turn in the spotlight, similar to what’s currently happening on the Illuminate front of Helldivers 2’s Galactic War.

There are bound to be more Illuminate enemy types added in the near future, but for the time being, the Illuminate faction in Helldivers 2 currently has a limited variety of enemy units. In the meantime, the absence of Illuminate enemies that have heavy armor allows players to use a wider variety of weapons when fighting the Illuminate on high-difficulty missions, which is arguably a refreshing change compared to how meta builds are a necessity for high-level Terminid and Automaton missions.

This new Illuminate meta won’t last forever though, which is a shame considering that many weapons will once again get overlooked due to their lack of heavy armor-penetrating capabilities. However, introducing Acid Elemental weapons and Stratagems inspired by the Acid Storm weather effect could be the key to keeping this new meta alive long after heavily armored Illuminate enemy units are introduced to the game. These kinds of buildcrafting tools could also open up countless new opportunities for underutilized weapons to finally shine on high-level Terminid and Automaton missions as well, giving the existing meta some healthy and welcome competition.

Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.
Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.
Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.
Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.
Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1
Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.

Systems